Destiny
by moeruhoshi
Summary: A princess can learn to do whatever she wants, and find what she wants in the most surprising places.


**I'm on break so I hope you're hype to read a lot more! I'm excited, I'm going to try and put out as much as I can before the new semester starts!**

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Lucy was a good child and often listened to what her mother told her; she was an excellent listener when it came to story time before bed. Her favorite were adventure tales of a prince taking a journey to the farthest ends of Earthland to reach his princess. She was a princess too, after all, and begged her mother to know when a prince just as brave and kind would come for her.

"There are some stories where the princess must save the prince, you don't need to wait around for anyone to save you, little star. Especially when you're so strong on your own," She laughed with her mother as she jumped in her arms, eyes swirling with a galaxy reflecting the night sky.

"Tell me one of those, mama!"

The stellar princess would jump around the library, looking for a new story every day, content that her mother would read anything the girl handed over. It only made sense that a king who had a queen with an immense love for reading, would have such a vast library built for his love, Lucy one or more times definitely getting lost. There were guards who did walkthroughs in sections to further prevent this incident and help the princess if there was a book she wanted to reach on a higher shelf. The knight, Macao, grinned as he handed her another bound text, the bubbly princess running off another night to read with her mother.

The last book they read together was a dark tale, full of warnings and stories about the great and feared demon, E.N.D. Lucy held a wide-eyed stare as she looked at his fowl drawings, the demon practically a living ball of flames. She gasped and hid under a blanket, shaking and turning a scared shade of periwinkle as her mother continued to detail just how fierce the beast was and how lucky the people of Fiore were that he hadn't been seen for over a hundred years.

"It was our ancestor, Anna, who sealed him in the depths of the Boundary Forest. Many dark guilds are still searching for his crystal, but she went through a great deal of trouble to keep him hidden. Every ounce of her magic went into sealing the demon, no one but a Heartfilia could find him if they wished." Layla closed the book and giggled, her daughter peeking her face from a small opening of her blanket.

"The demon is real?! Isn't this a pretend story?!" Lucy cowered as her mother shook her head, peeking out the window of their foyer, eyes nervous as they cast down on the trees of the Boundary Forest. She refused to sleep alone, her mother patting her back as she held her, Jude laughing as they both entered their chambers, the family falling peacefully asleep.

No one saw it coming, no one at all. The queen had been so healthy, warm, smile never faltering. Lucy woke up the next morning to see the light in her mother's skin gone out, pale skin white and cloudy without a sparkle or glimmer in sight, no shake or scream able to wake her, only half the castle.

Magic depletion, the queen had been suffering for who knew how long and never wanted to burden anyone with the knowledge of her illness.

The funeral was short, their king scorning the princess throughout the service and blaming her light for the stolen energy of his late wife. The townspeople were disgusted by his behavior, pitying the poor princess for losing her mother and the life she would continue with such a callous father. They prayed to the goddess Mavis for her safety and well-being, hoping that no such illness would take their princess like it had their queen.

The light in the castle was dim, Lucy cried every day after her mother had died, in the arms of the knights and servants, her own father refusing to hold her. Skin lost its golden luster and color, a deep blue her complexion for days. His glare shattered her heart as he turned to walk away from his sobbing daughter, the king never bothering with his presence upon her unless he deemed the meeting necessary.

Even worse, he had the queens things locked away in a room with no key, guarded by runes written by a powerful ecriture mage. Lucy kicked and screamed as she watched one cast a spell on the library, betrayal stinging her heart and those of the knights and servants devoted to taking care of their young princess.

Her grief was shunted aside, Jude barely giving her the proper time to cope with her mother's death, quick to enroll her in a heaping amount of studies on top of the ones she had in the past. Lucy toughened herself as she blankly stared at the lecturer in front of her...this was her life. The father she had known was lost with the soul of her mother, and the light in the castle never shone through as brightly as it ever once had.

Over the years, she learned how to adjust herself to the situation, nights spent crying in the arms of Ms. Spetto were over, and weakness became her strength. She adopted the habit of writing a letter to her mother every night, blessing it with a kiss before locking it tight up in a chest. Her lessons took a good portion of the day away, but her solace lied with the time she got to spend in her mothers garden. It was the only place her father hadn't managed to steal from her memories, the path hidden under the wide berth of a willow tree leading her to a separated grove just off of the edge of the forest. Layla installed a beautiful pavilion, nurtured the soft grass and surrounding wildflowers; the energy of her mother still felt in the air when she took her time to sit, breathe, and have a cup of tea. Macao and Wakaba, two excellent knights of the court, made it a habit of bringing Lucy things to read, books stacking up in the garden her father never bothered to enter. They made eyes at each other when Lucy begged them for books on magics, and they complied, of course, helping the girl understand terms her standard tutors would never go over with her. They spent their allotted breaks in the garden with the princess when she had free time, studying texts and teaching her how to channel her energy into her hands for use. She wondered if stars had any other ability aside from their emotional color changes, though no other books existed out of the royal library. A star was only born of the royal lineage, after all. She worked hard building her magic reserves, learning script magic in the hope of the day she could remove the powerful spells keeping her out of her mother's most precious library.

The two knights sweat nervously as the princess grew up. She had such an affinity for magic, she could definitely rival even a guild mage, and they were the type to run wild with their powers. Lucy of course never let it show just what she could do; the princess didn't even need a magic quill to channel her energy like other ecriture mages. There were days they took short rides into the woods to practice her skills under the guise of horseriding to improve her riding posture. They started with simple traps and the general inclusion of specifics into a rune spell before moving on to other things like solid script magic, which they definitely only taught her one spell for self-defense. Who were they to remand the princess if she decided to go off course to become a near master in the art when she had only spent so many years and so many hours with time to practice. The men feared they created a logical monster, the princess excited to have the thrumming of magic lying under the glistening shimmer of her skin. Though with all the strength she had gathered, she knew there was a part of her heritage missing and the answer surely written in a book in their locked away library.

Lucy was a proper lady to everyone outside of the castle staff, one to be left desired by many. Her father puffed his chest with pride at all the gifts his castle received; kings, princes, barons, and dukes all hoping for a meeting with the fairest star princess.

The usual silence at the dinner table was interrupted with an announcement from her father, telling his daughter how he would be taking a month-long journey to meet with several potential suitors who had personally invited him to their home for a one on one meeting with either themselves or their son. And after his return, there would be a ball inviting men from bordering countries as well as those beyond them, to court her for her hand in marriage. Lucy nodded blankly and finished her meal, quick to leave once she was done in efforts to avoid a sudden change of her skin.

She wouldn't know what color it would have turned to, she was both very excited and nervous to finally be able to test her abilities and attempt to unlock the library. As well as morally upset her father was choosing the option to give her away to some stranger than allow Lucy the option of following her heart to find the one she was meant to be with. She knew an arranged marriage was more likely her future compared to the wonderful books her mother had read to her where a princess fell in love with her prince, and they lived happily ever after. There was the inkling idea that if her mother were still alive, she would let Lucy choose the man right for her, to experience the genuinely pure magic that came from falling in love. She knew her reality but refused to let it take away the hope in her heart for a fated meeting with her soulmate.

The staff and their princess waved the king as he left for his month long trip around whichever part of Fiore, all smiling as soon as his carriage was out of sight, the princess already ditching her heels to run excitedly back into the castle. Macao and Wakaba stood by her side as she deciphered the written runes, looking for their weakness where she could begin writing her own words. They sighed in relief as her words broke the seal, the princess crying as she pushed open the doors closed for at least ten years. She cast a spell of wind, whisking the piled dust out of the windows, breathing in the scent of paper and ink she had missed so much. The two left her to spend the rest of her day freely within the endless stacks, even her tutors agreeing to miss some of their time with her while the king was away; she was plenty smart anyhow.

Lucy brushed her hand along every spines edge, pulling stories into her arms and dropping ones she had known the tales of onto a coffee table accompanied with a deep and comfy armchair for her to spend leisure in. Her eyes became puffy and cheeks stained with tears as her long-awaited happiness flooded her heart and turned her skin a deep orange-marigold.

The book of E.N.D sat on an end table and caught her eye as she walked back and forth between the selves and her seat, heart thumping in her chest as her fingers brushed against the bound leather. It was the last book she read with her mother, the chilling tales of the fire demon still haunting her dreams every now and again. There was a time when she was younger when she wondered if he was the cause of her mother's death, his body so close to their home that he could steal her magic even if he were sealed away. She took it with her, along with the books she knew existed, ones telling her of the connection she had with the stars.

It was her first night alone, standing in the garden with gripped fists, taking deep breaths as servants and knights stood behind her, all looking to the sky as she made her first chant.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" She gasped as her voice seemingly bellowed the call, magic rising within her and wind rushing wildly around them. A ding-dong rang in the air, stinging their ears with its volume, the sky responding to her call as a star shot at maximum speed towards the ground. She grinned as a man kneeled in front of her, his glasses glinting against the moon as he looked up and took her hand in his, giving her a kiss before standing up.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Princess."

When she wasn't training with her new spirit family, she was reading books to learn the history of celestial spirits, and strangely all she could find on the demon, E.N.D. She had gone back to the book she read with her mother, more details omitted by the late queen than Lucy had thought. Their ancestor Anna had indeed sealed the demon with a powerful spell that he could not even escape with the vast amount of magic hidden in his core. It was around the time after he had destroyed the country of Veronica, who was at war with Fiore at the time. She found it strange that only folklore books existed containing stories of him that seemed like were written only to scare children into staying out of the depths of the Boundary Forest. Even the book her mother had read her only told of what Anna had accomplished other than the destruction that seemed to follow him wherever he went. There was no origin story, just so much as to say one day he showed up in their country and did what he liked, wasn't afraid to kill anyone that crossed his path or would leave any innocent to live if they dared to even look at him.

She asked Capricorn more about the demon since the immortal spirits had known Anna as well, his answers vague and tried to steer her onto a new topic.

"That demon, he was bloodthirsty for destruction. Princess Anna almost died trying to save our country from his clutches." The spirit coughed awkwardly and insisted that she stay quiet while they continued to meditate.

She gave up on asking any other questions she knew wouldn't go anywhere, choosing to enjoy the time her father was still away from the castle.

On the last day before her return, she visited the west wing, dispelling the magic on the room that held her mother's things. Again she cleared the dust through the windows as she entered, crying as the smell of her mother left on the dresses was still present. Gowns Lucy knew she could fit in, one day hoping for the opportunity to take one and dance imagining her mother opposite of her. A desk was littered with papers, mostly ones her father had written on, but sLuy knew it was the desk that belonged in her study, one she worked at almost every day. Lucy trifled through the drawers looking for anything of sentiment she could get her hands on, eyes curious as she found an old letter addressed to the younger blonde.

My dearest Lucy,

I know my time with you will be short, please don't blame yourself for my passing. When I was young, I used too much of my magic trying to keep the demon E.N.D locked away after almost setting him free, your mama isn't the smartest at times, but your future is safe now, and I'm glad. Each day with you was more than I could ever ask for, my little star. I know you're destined to do so much for our country. I know the spirits will help guide you, so please try not to be too scared of Aquarius, she means well. I hope you and your father will learn to live happily without me by your side, but trust that I am always watching you from above. Please be happy, my baby. Please find what you know will make you happy, even if no one else trusts in your decision. And remember that even though you're a princess, don't forget how to enjoy your life as a girl. Mama won't be looking if you want to kiss a boy you just met!

Your mother, Layla

Bundled in her mother's quilt, she sat on her favorite couch, tearful and sobbing as she clutched the letter close to her heart, thanking her mother profusely for these final words. To enjoy her life as a girl, Lucy chuckled breathlessly, she barely knew where to begin at that. And to kiss a boy she just met... well, her lady training indeed kept her mind innocent of ever thinking she could do that.

The knights woke her briefly in the middle of the night, ushering her to return to bed, and to lay some cream so her eyes wouldn't be too puffy the next day.

And indeed the king returned bright and early, horns blaring and guards saluting as he stepped out of his carriage, ignoring Lucy as she curtsied and insisted that she follow him as he walked back to his chambers.

"The ball will be held in three weeks, I expect you all to get the castle ready," He shouted to the servants, all scrambling around to get the preparations started. "And I will need the finest seamstress to craft the princess a new dress. She must look her best when we offer her hand in marriage."

"My suitor... did you find him?" Lucy asked timidly as her father stood in the doorway of his room, barely turning to give her a side glance.

"There are several attending who I have high hopes for accepting you into their family. Do not worry, you'll fetch a good price and ensure an unusual alliance, whoever your man may be."

Lucy flinched as he slammed the door behind him, not bothering to shed a tear at his words and rather grumble angrily against them. In practically a month or two she would have her marriage arraigned clearly only to be shipped away from this main castle, the home she couldn't imagine ever leaving. She would charm her mother's things and her favorite books to take them along with her, not allowing her father to give them the chance of collecting any more dust than that of the past.

She smirked at all the silencing spells she had placed upon the castle; one lining the library so no one could hear the door open or the princess shuffling around inside, as well as her own room so she could summon the spirits to talk to, though mostly the constellation Nikora to keep her company. She had always wanted a dog.

The night of the ball soon approached, Virgo helping the princess into her elegantly crafted dress, the spirit under the guise of a traveling seamstress with the finest of silks. Although of course, the cloths she presented to the king were beyond anything that he had ever touched, impressed with their high quality. They were crafted of the stars themselves, not that he ever knew, but the scent lacing the fabrics reminded Lucy heavily of her mother. The blue and gold accented ball gown matched perfectly with her golden skin, hair flowing down to the small of her back with the help of Cancer. It was sleeveless per Loke's request, the star glaring and shaking her head for Virgo to go ahead and listen to someone so free of shame. The corset wasn't too tight, her skirt layered to appear as though it flowed from her waist.

She was truly the belle of the ball, all eyes on her as she made her entrance. She smiled softly as the king introduced her, Lucy walked delicately and slowly down the stairs, Boeing as she reached the bottom. Everyone clapped, and the music began once again, a line of suitors ready to greet the princess. She nodded politely and spoke with them all, dancing with one at least once, before she was twirled off her feet and needed more than one drink of water. Her cheeks began to feel the weight of so much fake smiling, mentally groaning at the memory of so many grubby hands excited to feel her up as they danced. Most men were older than wanted her hand, knowing who was already married and began collecting princesses of sorts. One could never have too many vessels to bear his children. She shivered at his offer, politely excusing herself from Earl Gildarts, sure that his only heir, Cana, would smack him silly for repeating such drunken words to Lucy.

"Tired, huh?" She sighed and nodded, turning to whoever had spoken to her, quick to straighten her back as familiar navy blue eyes cast down on her.

"Gray! I didn't know you were going to be here." She curtsied, and he bowed, both itching to reunite with a hug, their memories of childhood playdates still fresh as if they were still running around in the garden.

"That's your highness to you," She rolled her eyes as he snickered, both taking leave to speak out on the terrace and getting away from the overcrowded party.

"I was never able to give you my condolences, it was heartbreaking to hear about your parents passing." She rested a hand above his, both squeezing as he nodded and thanked her for her words.

"So marriage," He rose a brow as she let herself pout for once. "I didn't think you'd ever be the type to ever find your husband this way."

"It's per my father's wishes. I don't want to go off with any of these men, they only care about my looks, not my brain or my skills." Her eyes cast to the stars as she saw her friends glittering above her.

"I was about to say," He laughed as she turned curiously to meet his eyes. "You're magic level is quite daunting. Lucky no one else out there can sense it. Otherwise, you'd be in a lot of trouble."

"Eh?! I didn't think of that at all!" She gasped, and he continued to laugh, telling her the pressure radiating off of her was more than intense, more than his royal guard, Erza, produced. And they both knew just how strong she was. They spent time talking of the old days, of her mother and his father, of her new magic and tales of E.N.D. Gray was fascinated to learn such a beast was so close to the castle, his eyes curious as they laid on the tips of the pine trees. He spoke of his true love, Juvia, a wild duchess from a neighboring kingdom, who's beauty and quick jealousy somehow stole his heart. Lucy sighed and wished she could have someone that made her heart beat in such a way that Gray had described, both fearing who Lucy would be given away to in only a few short hours.

Her father announced above the room, as Lucy and Gray stood far hidden, listening to whom he had deemed her soon to be.

"...the prince of the small country of Zentopia, Dan Straight, to wed my dear daughter Lucy in only a month..."

That idiot Dan, both knew him too well. He was an excellent swordsman, his only saving trait. He was lucky he was a prince, otherwise who knew what his life would have been reduced to other than following women around. He was notorious for taking any woman he fell in love with, the concubines by his side at least in double digits. Lucy knew she would be nothing more than a prize to him, nothing more than a signature on a contract to keep their countries in good tidings.

Gray called out as she ran, though knew she needed time to be alone. He grumbled and glared at the brunette as he waved, the ice king sure he would try to fix this for Lucy in the only way he knew how.

She ditched her shoes, guards calling after her as she ran into her mothers garden, past the surrounding flowers, and deeper, deeper still into the Boundary Forest where she knew no one could follow her. Not even the poking of sticks and rocks in the pads of her feet could stop her, the princess trailing tears as she ran, turning a bright purple as both sadness and anger consumed her. There would be even less freedom in the kingdom of Zentopia, religion a huge controlling factor in their country. She knew magic was forbidden unless performed by a cleric. Otherwise, she or anyone else would be deemed a traitor of the state and who knew what could happen after that.

She wanted love, Lucy realized, after being starved of it for so long. Someone to hold her and stay by her side, the castle guards and servants all had homes to return to eventually, leaving Lucy with the simple warmth her fire provided. She wanted what Gray had told her about, someone excited to see them come home, to kiss and to hug, no matter how much the idea made her blush. She wanted what she knew her mother and father had, an unconditional trust flowing back and forth, a bright smile always there when they needed one.

She fell to her knees and cried into her palms, gentle warmth of the stars letting her know they were there if she needed someone to talk to. Even they, she would have to say goodbye to for who knew how long once she was sent off with Dan. The princess continued to cry, watery eyes looking around to see where she had ran off too. She, of course, knew no idea where she was, or exactly which direction to head back in. The stars hid behind the thick cover of the trees, Lucy not even able to use them as a guide. She huffed and wiped her eyes, deciding she'd much rather continue walking forward than to head back now when everyone would still be dancing in the ballroom.

Lucy wasn't afraid, a little spooked though when the bushes rustled. She was sure it was only the fact that it was night and convinced herself the forest was probably more inviting in the daytime. But it wasn't like she couldn't handle herself. If there were a hungry pack of wolves she would be more than glad to feed them, even a wyvern or a vulcan... her powers would stand against them. Her battle training wasn't as intense as she would have hoped, only being able to go so far with Loke while her father was away. She yelped as her foot slipped into a hole gone unnoticed, dragging her down and sliding uncomfortably into a strange cave opening below the ground. She groaned as she hit the bottom, struggling to stand up and dust herself clean as best she could. The star waved her fingers and called for more light, gasping as she stood to her feet, the cave glistening with more crystals than she had ever seen. They were in uncrusted geodes, beautiful purples, greens, and blues shining with her light. Her grin faltered as she turned around, fear ebbing the corners of her heart and prickling her glow with sheer white at the sight of a body encased in a large clear crystal. A crack had formed across it, sealed with a rune spell she knew must have been the one her mother had mentioned.

He was not at all what Lucy had imagined. A literal demon with a bloodthirsty grin and claws, black horns and giant feet, or maybe even the fireball many had described him as. He looked gentle, as though he was sleeping peacefully, pink hair sticking up wildly, baggy clothes she knew must have been what people wore hundreds of years ago. He looked about as old as herself, as tall or maybe an inch above Gray. She slowly approached the crystal, hand wavering as she held it above his image, curiously pulled in, wanting to grab the hand at his side. Her fingers lightly grazed the crystal wall, the middle of her palm scratched and bleeding, Lucy pulling it away as she noticed her blood staining the prison. She gasped as the ground began to shake, the rumbling directed from the wall in front of her, geodes behind her falling from the roof of the cave. With wide eyes, she watched as the crystal began to crack along the line already forming, a bright light surrounding her as it spilled out of the cracks, blinding her as the walls of the crystal broke apart. She coughed as dust rose in the cave, blinking as the air cleared, flinching as the demon rose from the ground, shaking his hair and rolling his shoulders, groaning as the tension loosened and his neck cracked. The princess shivered in her spot on the ground, his eyes meeting hers as the cave had finally cleared, his smile not at all devious but seemingly overjoyed, She cowered as he ran forward, shrieking as she expected an attack, flushed as he grabbed her face in his hands.

The demon's kiss was intensely deep and hot, surprising her with his instant fervor tongue not shy to slither its way against her bottom lip. Lucy was a novice and definitely did not know how to reciprocate his kiss well enough, her mouth pressured into letting his tongue in, dying her a flushed pink as he filled her with heat. He was needy, pushing her down and moaning as he pulled himself away for a short breath, kissing her again with rushed pecks before swallowing her lips with his and bringing her closer to his chest. Overwhelmed with the 'kiss', she quickly pushed him away as his hand landed on her waist, a shocked hand covering her mouth sheepishly.

"W-Wait!"

"I know you love that other guy, Anna, but I don't know why it feels like forever since I've seen you." He flashed a shy grin of his own, stuttering out an apology as he ran a hand awkwardly through his hair.

"Anna...?" She asked, and he nodded, quirking his head at her strange question.

"Don't you know your own name, weirdo?" She huffed as he chuckled, shaking her head to clear up the apparent misunderstanding.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not Anna," Lucy said, and the demon laughed again.

"What kind of game is this, of course, you are! We're in our secret hideout too! I just killed Duke Cream for you too, aren't you happy?" His eyes were bright, and his smile confused, "Though I don't remember you ever wearing such a fancy dress. You look pretty,"

She felt the heat poke at her stomach again before giving him the same reply.

"I told you, I'm not Anna. She's been dead for over one hundred years... don't you know what happened?" The demon stood up and glared at her, smoke beginning to pour from his nostrils.

"That's not a funny joke, quit messing around!" He growled, scales patterning his skin, black horns poking out from underneath his hair.

"Anna sealed you away, for destroying Veronica," Her voice was quiet as his eyes seemed to widen, the demon bending down to sniff a locke of her hair. "My name is Lucy..."

He fell to his knees, eyes still wide, his mind reeling with the events suddenly dropped on him. She refused to move, his head mear inches away from her own, his hot breath fanning her open chest.

"She, she wouldn't do that to me," Tears welled in his eyes, dropping to moisten the hair he still held onto. "She was my best friend."

Lucy was at a loss for words, who wouldn't be with someone the world thought was the most dangerous being to ever walk upon Earthland. He vanished quickly into a wisp of flame, leaving the princess by her lonesome for the rest of that night. It was a little while before Lucy returned to the castle after calling Virgo to help her out of the ground, cleaning her up as well so that no one could assume to where she had gone. The guests were making their way out of the main gate, the princess surprised to see that Dan was also on his way, hope rising in Lucy's heart as she assumed her father had grown one himself. She stepped back into the grand ballroom, her father talking with Gray, ushering her to come forward with a surprisingly broad grin upon his lips.

"Lucy, it seems that Dan is no longer your husband candidate, for King Fullbuster has offered to take your hand instead. I think Fiore will prosper much more with the help of his country." He left them to see out another attending guest, Lucy quirking a brow most unbecoming of a young lady.

"Excuse me? What's this all about?" She whispered harshly to her friend, the boy lucky she could not deliver him a kick to the shin. "You have someone you love!"

"And I'm helping you get out of here without getting sold to the highest bidder! It's the only way you can keep the life you want. Juvia and I already discussed having to do something like this." He reasoned with her, Lucy shocked that she hadn't come up with a plan of her own like that. A weight she hadn't noticed was quick to lift from her shoulders, excitement real for once as she let her father know she was honored to be taken as his second wife.

And in under a months time, Lucy was moving out of the castle, saying goodbye to every corner she had spent with her mother, saying goodbye to the garden, goodbye to the library, and goodbye to the servants who had watched her grow up into the fabulous young woman she was today. They all cried and hugged, helping the princess hide her mother's things for her to take along with her. The king barely bothered with one, saying he wouldn't need to bother with the wedding but would send an attendant every now and again to keep their affairs in good tidings.

Lucy was both sad and happy, leaving behind the only parents she had ever known, and a father who was lucky to finally get rid of her. She didn't care for the king after that, knew that if he did care about her, he would show it one day when she was happier than he could ever be and was stewing in his own jealousy.

Though, this way Gray didn't really need to marry Lucy, maybe only have a ceremony for appearance's sake. She would live in his castle and live however she pleased; what else were best friends for? She, of course, told him about her incident with E.N.D, both staying on high alert if he were ever to reappear, but Lucy didn't think he would go on a rampage like all those books wrote he would. He was surprisingly sweet, an overzealous kisser, but she didn't see a demon in him, only the sad eyes he showed when receiving the news of betrayal by his best friend. One he had loved and did not love him back, one that clearly looked too much like her. A curse of Heartfilia women, she supposed.

She never did speak about the kiss to anyone else, just because it was embarrassing and much more rushed than she would have liked for her first one; definitely not the fact that she kind of liked the heat that had rolled off of him.

The kingdom of Amefurashi was an interesting one, snow-covered almost every inch of the land, even in the summertime, but was never cold. Their winters were harsh, but the mages and people had adapted, making it a beautiful country that continued to thrive under the rule of their young king. His brother and sister ruled along with him but mostly left it up to Gray and instead preferred being able to join a guild. Juvia welcomed them home with open arms, making sure that Lucy knew she wasn't really Gray's wife and only his friend. They both nodded softly as they sweatdropped, sharing a look as the princess continued to cling to her beloved, excited to show Lucy around the castle.

Half a year and without incident, Lucy began to lead the healthy life she had always dreamed of. The freedom to use her magic whenever she wanted, freedom to read any book, plant any plant, even help out and learn to cook int he kitchen. Gray and Juvia had made such a lovely home for her, the princess secretly envying them as they held. Each other in the garden and kissed when they thought no one was looking. There were no sightings of the demon, whom they had Erza keeping up with any news of him beyond the castle walls. Lucy could walk into town whenever she wanted, greeted children and shopped from market stands lining the streets. She knew her mother would be happy for her, the blonde writing a letter to her every day before locking them away in a chest.

Lucy sighed one day as she looked out at the night sky, clouds overcast and keeping her view of the stars somewhat muddled. She threw herself onto her bed, wondering what her next endeavor should be before the winter months came and she could not spend as much time out of the castle.

"You seem bored," She shrieked, jumping up to look around for who had spoken to her, surprised to see no one at all, not so much as hearing a door close either.

"W-Who was that?" She rose her fingers, ready to write a rune to keep whoever it was away from her bed.

"Over here, weirdo," Her eyes met the onyx ones she had only seen once before, another shriek almost past her lips before his hand covered her mouth. "I'd prefer if you didn't wake up half the castle with your yelling."

"Why are you in my bedroom?" She hissed as she swatted at his hand, flushing a bright pink as her eyes cast down to his half-naked appearance. "And why aren't you wearing any clothes?!"

"Why would I wear clothes to sleep?" He scoffed, lying down and ignoring her flustered skin, yawning as he scratched his stomach. "You're wearing a dress to bed, isn't that weird?"

"It's a nightgown," She glared as he nodded mildly. "And just who gave you permission to sleep in my bed?"

"I'm only here to talk to you, you just happen to have comfortable pillows." He shrugged his shoulders, chuckling as her complexion reddened, the princess slapping him in the face with one of her pillows.

"Oh, it is so on."

Pillow fights turned into actual conversation, Lucy forever confused as to why the demon even bothered her giving her a visit. He had spoken of taking the time to regain the power he had lost in his kingdom, Tartaros, a cousin of his taking charge of the throne while their Lord was missing. She nodded, falling asleep to his story and even more when he came back to give her a new one almost every night. They spoke of their younger years, Natsu of how he had always cared for Anna, even though she had cared for another. Lucy was scared at one point, an attachment growing for the pink haired boy and his obsession with her ancestor seemingly present. They were friends, weird friends who only spoke at night and never bothered to leave her room for any kind of fun, especially when she was keeping him a secret form Gray. The stories about him were fake, for the most part, or simply overdramatic as he liked to say. He worked with many human guilds, though his fire had a tendency to burn more than what he meant to burn. But he did destroy Veronica, only to save Anna from having to marry away into their country.

"The bastards were evil, anyways," He grumbled, still upset that his friend had performed such magic on him even though he was helping her. Demons, unlike humans, did not have the same views when it came to death, she understood. It wasn't like he killed everyone either, only the people he knew were terrible; the Fire Villiage now stood where the principality once was, and their small country was more than prosperous, so he didn't see the real issue in his actions. Lucy didn't press him on trying to understand, instead of letting the demon know that Anna must have been thankful in some way, for she was then able to live with who she loved, and must have cried when she thought she had to send away her best friend. His grin was wide, and he thanked Lucy for her words, the princess biting back her blush as she nodded.

There were several nights when Natsu let himself into her room, earning a solid kick to the head as Lucy was changing, the demon mumbling and insisting on why she had to be so private when they were becoming such good friends.

"You humans are so uptight, it's only skin." He rolled his eyes, Lucy sending him a glare as she finished putting on her pajamas for the night.

"It's improper! I'm not supposed to be naked in front of anyone other than the one I love." She stuck a tongue at him, Natsu pouting and agreeing to make sure he knocked at her patio before coming in unannounced.

"This wouldn't happen if I could visit in the daytime, you know. But you never let me," He sat crisscrossed at the end of her bed as Lucy fell into the swell of her pillows.

"People would think you brainwashed me or something, you're not the most trusted person, I hope you know that" He scoffed, continuing to go on a rant about how if he meant to slaughter the rest of the world, he would and he could, there were few that could rival his strength.

When the winters grew, and she had a hard time adjusting to the weather, he would join her in her bundled blankets, his body warming the star's heated core, Lucy, in turn, telling him all the stories she knew off the top of her head. He liked hearing them, insisted on cheering for a dragon if her were ever to make an appearance, his hand always rubbing soothing circles against Lucy's back. There were times they fell asleep holding one another, the demon always gone the next morning when the handmaidens would come knocking and woke her up for breakfast.

There were nights when all he would do was insist on holding her, his nose buried deep into the crook of her neck, the demon purring as he enjoyed her scent, Lucy unbeknownst as she sat in his lap, minding her time with him while reading from one of her favorite books. Those days he would look dazed, acted more like a tired kitten than a fierce demon, and fell asleep in her bed, the princess refusing to care as he held her close.

"Natsu," She dared to ask him one day. "You don't spend time with me because I look like Anna, do you?"

Her stomach dropped as he pursed his lips, she figured the answer would have been simple enough to give without an extra thought.

"Maybe at first," He admitted, his eyes serious as they met her own nervous ones. "But, you're nothing like her, you know? She much preferred dance, and painting, had orphans come to the castle to learn instead of goofing off with me. We played a lot more when we were younger, but she barely had time for me as we grew up. Especially when she wanted to spend all her time with that freakin' Mest. She would visit me in our hideout, but usually just to yell at me for not being more careful. You guys look alike, but you're not her, Luce. We got a friendship all our own."

"B-But," She flushed as the words bubbled up her throat. "Why would you have kissed me like that if you knew she didn't love you?"

He sprang a blush of his own, looking away as he awkwardly wiped his nose.

"I dunno, instinct? That's all I knew I wanted to do when I woke up, kinda hard to explain it." She nodded, and they left the conversation there, though she had the courage to ask one more before he went for the night.

"What is it, Lucy?" He asked as she held him back, his portal bringing in front off her, vibrant pink crawling up the tips of her fingers.

"...you don't love Anna anymore, do you?" Her voice was quiet, and the air was still, the roar of his gate dying out as Natsu looked abashed, his head shaking as he took a step back to face her, his hands caressing her sides as he pulled her against him.

Their confession was, produced in only actions that built up over their continuing time together. Lucy did a terrible time of hiding her delight during the daytime, Juvia curious as she knew the telltale signs of a girl in love. Even though she was friends with her darling Gray-sama, Lucy was not all over him like the siren would have predicted, leaving the matter alone since the girl was not after her beloved.

Gray was suspicious as well, the princess spending more and more time in her room, seeming to forget the world around her, but continuing to live with a smile on her face just as broad as when they first arrived at the castle.

They took their time together slow, cuddles turning into soft kisses, and in turn, they turned into heated ones. Lucy soon became addicted to the feeling of his hot chest pressed against her own, sweat and spit mixing as the two became one, night after night under cover of a silencing spell. Natsu graced every inch of her skin with his lips, complementing her each time she changed color, especially turned on by the velvety soft peach color she turned while climaxing. He had a habit of talking down to her as they made love, whispering hatch words into Lucy's ear as his hips rocked roughly against hers, the burning sensation in her stomach growing as he whimpered at every phrase. His weak spots included his very sensitive horns that Lucy had a habit of teasing, loving the deep purr, he let slip from his mouth as she brought them into her own.

"Please come live with me, Lucy," Natsu begged one night as they laid together, the princess contemplating whether or not it was right for her to accept. "I want to be able to wake up with you, it hurts to leave every morning."

"In the underworld? I don't know if I'm ready to leave," She sighed, though knew her place was no longer in this castle. He promised to bring her to visit whenever she wanted, even those people back in Fiore if she wanted to. He wanted to present her to his people, to walk her through his castle gates, to show her their new home where they would continue to live the life she had always wanted.

* * *

 **So I hope you like it! Bit of a brief ending but i didnt want to drag it on any longer!**


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